Al Qaeda ordered Saudi bombing from Iran

Reuters ^ | Nov. 23, 2003 | Reuters

[FairOpinion]

RIYADH (Reuters) - A senior al Qaeda militant orchestrated the bombing of a residential compound in Saudi Arabia earlier this month by telephone from Iran, a Saudi newspaper says.

Okaz newspaper, quoting informed sources on Sunday, said the militant network's security chief Saif al-Adel gave orders for the attack in the capital Riyadh by satellite phone.

Neither Saudi nor Iranian officials were immediately available to comment on the Okaz report.

"The sources said Saif al-Adel led the bombing operation of the Muhaya residential compound, using a Thuraya phone to give instructions to the terrorists in the kingdom who carried out the criminal operation," the Arabic-language daily said.

"The sources said that the terrorist Saif al-Adel is in Iran," it added.

At least 18 people were killed in the Muhaya bombing two weeks ago, blamed on Saudi-born Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network. The attack followed triple suicide bombings in Riyadh in May which killed 35 people.

The newspaper said Saif al-Adel fled to Iran with 500 al Qaeda members during the intensive U.S. bombing of Afghanistan in late 2001. It said they were detained by Iranian troops.

Some al Qaeda militants in northern Iran were in touch with figures outside including bin Laden, it added.

Asked on Sunday about U.S. media reports that bin Laden and top al Qaeda figures may be in Iran, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman told reporters in Tehran:

"These are rumours...We are serious about confronting al Qaeda. We have always been and will continue to be so."

Iran has said it arrested a number of al Qaeda members, including some senior figures, but has declined to name them and says it will not hand them over to U.S. officials for questioning.

Last month, Tehran said it had given the names of extradited al Qaeda suspects to the U.N. Security Council but declined to give any details of detainees remaining in the country.

Western intelligence sources and media reports suggest Iran may be holding Saif al-Adel.

Washington has in the past accused Iran of sheltering al Qaeda and said members of the militant network in Iran may have planned the May bombings in Riyadh. Iran denied the charges.

[EGPWS]

But I bet Bin Laden didn't count on US victory in each place. :)

Yea Bin Laden probably assumed that "Der Schlickmeister" would still be CIC.

[txhurl]

Like that Christmas-gift-name-drawing thing that happened at Thanksgiving there for a while, I think the UK, Australia, Japan, Spain and Turkey should draw from a hat the countries Iran, Syria, NK, Saudi Arabia and maybe even Egypt.

Since the US already drew Iraq.

[WOSG]

It's time for us to go into Iran. Naw ... It's time for the SAUDIS to go into Iran!

Send those crack commandos that Wesley Clark keeps talking about.

Seems like a win/win to me.

[WOSG]

Not ripe yet.

Wait long enough and the apple will fall from the tree on its own...

The CIA are unfortunately dunces and are likely NOT supporting the democracy movement demonstratrors and likely have not a clue how to undermine the Iranian theocracy.

Nevermind, Iranian revolution will occur within 9 months of the first Iraqi elections - you heard it here first.

[Defender2]

Me bethinks the crosshairs will probably be realigned on Iran in the near future(probably Syria as well).

[ridesthemiles]

It's time for us to go into Iran.

It's time for Saudi Arabia to quit funding the critter that bites us all.

[Defender2]

#27. I have'nt seen any updates yet.

[Imal]

Note to Iran: global terrorists are not a profitable commodity to traffic in.

Iran can choose to try to obstruct our efforts to defend ourselves from terrorism if they wish, but it's going to cost them dearly.

[af_vet_1981]

A (full) invasion of Iran is unworkable and unlikely. (Although the occassional, or even not so occassional, cross-border raid, say to destroy military camps in retaliation for assistance to insurgents in Iraq, sounds like a fine idea.)

No to both ideas. Massive and complete retaliatory strikes are the answer. What was the question ?

[af_vet_1981]

any updates form the Fox news bombshell that OBL is inside Iran planning attacks?

Completely logical

Eradicate the regime.

[Publius6961]

The introductions and the first chapter of the Sword of the Prophet says it all.

[HELLRAISER II]

I agree and let's forget about world opinion & hurt these bast@rds with a real shock & awe campaign, turn them into a glass parking lot.

[Coop]

The leak of this info could set us back months if not years.

I doubt it. They already know their calls can be traced.

[The_Reader_David]

I guess you missed it in the propagandistic spin of "al Qaeda attacks Muslims", but it wasn't Saudis attacked in the latest bombing. It was Lebanese Christian Arabs. More "cleansing the 'Holy' Arabian peninsula of 'infidels'".

I'm still trying to find out whether any were Orthodox, and thus communicants in my Patriarchate, so that we should add a feast for the Martyrs of Riyahd to the calendar.

[Grampa Dave]

No I didn't miss it.

Who does most of the hard work in Saudi land?

If those who work are afraid to live in Saudi Land, what would happen to the economics of Saudi Land?

[Shermy]

AQ/Oil War civil war phase bump!

[Grampa Dave]

I seem to remember you predicting this phase way back.

[Shermy]

Yep.

Bound to happen. The Mullahs are merging with AQ. AQ has a new state paymaster.

[hresources]

Did anyone see the interview with Monsoor Ijaz last week on Fox where he claimed to have excellent intelligence that Osama and his No. 2 were being protected by the Iranian Republican Guards loyal to the ruling clerics. He had detailed description of how Bin Laden had attempted to disguise himself. After the interview this whole stroy disappeared from the radar screen.